Abstract: A open top railcar comprises a railcar body supported on the spaced trucks, the body comprising side and end structures on the railcar, and a top chord extending the length of the side structures and the width of the end structures, wherein the top chord includes an inwardly sloped top surface for discharging lading toward the railcar interior. The railcar may further include corner cap, or end cap members, including inwardly sloped lading discharging top surfaces. The railcar may be a hopper railcar having discharge chutes forming body pockets opening into the interior with pneumatic doors having manual override for each door. The railcar may include a nonmetallic touch pad housing secured to the side structures and including a plurality of touch plates mounted in the housing configured for operating selective individual doors and combination of doors.

Abstract: A hopper car discharge outflow is controlled by closure members, at least one of which is movable. The doors are hingeless, being mounted on four bar linkages, such that the distal edge of the doors sweeps predominantly horizontally while the proximal edge of the door moves predominantly upwardly. The doors move through noncircular arcs, such that the size of the vertically projected door opening is abnormally large compared to the clearance heights of the door. The doors are driven by a longitudinal shaft that is mounted within the center sill. It drives a set of single input, double output bell cranks that drive adjacent pairs of doors, and that employs an over-center toggle to hold the doors in the closed position when the car is laded. The actuators may be mounted in shelters midway along the car, and may be offset from the centersill. The actuators may be mounted predominantly vertically such that gravity may obviate the need for a secondary lock.

Abstract: A track mounted system for closing rail car doors that enables the simultaneous closing of multiple car doors. After hopper car contents such as aggregate or coal are unloaded, the doors are closed in pairs by semi-automated door closing arms that are positioned on the track and are operated by hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic cylinders, or electric motors. The closing arms may be added in pairs depending on the number of doors. Hydraulic cylinders with a differential bell crank can be used to activate the closer arm assemblies. Closer arms can be mounted side by side on the inside or outside of the track or separately inside and outside of the track. Automatic slack adjustment assemblies may be integrated into the closer arm connections to allow for off set door spacing. Individual hydraulic cylinders may be used with each closer arm in an alternate embodiment.

Abstract: An actuating system for operating transverse doors of a railroad hopper car. The mechanism includes an operating member which is coupled to a door or doors of the car by a shaft and a linkage which couples a power source to the operating member, where the operating member rotates to move the door away from the hopper. The mechanism can operate doors which open in opposed direction with a single power source. The mechanism can be used in new car construction, and can be retrofitted onto existing hopper cars.

Abstract: An actuating system for operating transverse doors of a railroad hopper car. The mechanism includes an operating member which is coupled to a door or doors of the car by a shaft and a linkage which couples a power source to the operating member, where the operating member rotates to move the door away from the hopper. The mechanism can operate doors which open in opposed direction with a single power source. The mechanism can be used in new car construction, and can be retrofitted onto existing hopper cars.

Abstract: An actuating system for operating longitudinal doors of a railroad hopper car. The mechanism includes an operating member which is coupled to each end of the door set of the car by a shaft and a linkage which couples a power source to the operating member, where the operating members rotate to move the doors away from the hopper. Reversing the rotation of the operating members closes the door set of the hopper. The mechanism can be used in new car construction, and can also be retrofitted onto existing hopper cars.

Abstract: An anti-spin/anti-drift or stop mechanism for a railway car door includes a shaft, a helical gear mounted to a first end of the shaft, a helical drive rotatably cooperating with the gear, and a worm gear mounted on a second end of the shaft. The worm gear is disposed in continuous engagement with a gear segment by means of intermeshing gear teeth. A handle for selectively rotating the worm gear is mounted on an end of a helical drive shaft. When the handle is rotated to move the railcar door to a fully opened position, the worm gear rotates the gear segment in a first direction while preventing rotation in the opposite direction to thereby eliminate the potential for drifting of the door. Also, as the handle is rotated to move the railcar door to a fully closed position, the worm gear rotates the gear segment in one direction while preventing rotation in the opposite direction to eliminate the potential for spinning of the handle.

Abstract: A manual discharge door operating system for a hopper railcar includes a door actuation shaft coupled to the railcar extending across the width of the railcar. The door actuation shaft has distal ends accessible from opposite sides of the railcar with each distal end adapted to be engaged with a handle for rotation of the actuation shaft by the operator. Rotation of the actuation shaft opens and closes the discharge door of the hopper railcar through linkage assemblies. Preferably, a door operating linkage assembly is provided with an over-center closed position to hold the door in the closed position.

Abstract: A dual-purpose railway hopper car is constructed so that it is capable of holding, handling and hauling both coal and fly ash on different trips by virtue of having a plurality of quick opening hopper doors which are sealed to prevent leakage of fly ash when closed, highly sloping active walls, a covered top with a wide longitudinal hatch for loading coal, which wide hatch carries a smaller circular hatch for pneumatically loading fly ash. The coal hatch is operated by air cylinders from a quick connect coupling at ground level. A center sill covers the hopper door operating linkage.

Abstract: A discharge arrangement for dispensing the contents of a hopper. The discharge arrangement is particularly suitable for use as an automated ballast door operating mechanism on a railroad hopper car transporting ballast for use in roadbed restoration. The hopper includes at least one discharge opening for discharge of the contents of the hopper. Discharge arrangements are installed over each hopper discharge opening to provide regulation of the discharge of the contents. Each arrangement includes a pair of doors. Locking means are provided by which both or either of the pair of doors may be locked closed. The positioning of the doors is automated in that a fluid motor is connected between the doors. The fluid motor may be actuated to partially or fully open a selected door to regulate discharge.

Abstract: An actuating system for operating the doors of a railroad hopper car. A plurality of levers for each hopper operate to rotate the doors of the hopper between an open and a closed position. The mechanism applies a tension force, rather than a compressive force, to push the doors closed. The mechanism also provides an over center latch to positively close each door. The mechanism may be used on either single or double hopper doors.

Abstract: A railroad hopper car having bottom discharge doors, an elongated beam assembly along the bottom of the car, door operating levers to open and close the doors connected to the beam assembly and doors, and lost motion connections in the beam assembly which permit displacement of beam sections to open and close pairs of doors in a sequential but substantially simultaneous and automatic order, and a pneumatic drive to move the beam in opposite directions to open and close the doors.

Abstract: A railway hopper car has longitudinally spaced hoppers on both sides of a center sill. The hoppers have door assemblies which may be opened and closed by a door operating mechanism. The door operating mechanism includes a pneumatic cylinder which rotates a lever to move an operating rod longitudinally within the center sill. Door operating levers are rotatably supported on the railway car and pivotally connected to the operating rod to be rotated when it moves. The door operating levers are pivotally connected with struts connected with the door on the hoppers. The mechanism is configured so that all forces are substantially coplanar in a vertical plane passing through the centerline of the center sill to reduce lateral twisting forces in the mechanism. Adjustment of the length of the strut is provided for positioning of the door operating levers during assembly.

Abstract: Apparatus for actuating and locking the hopper doors of a hopper car of the type having a center sill of inverted U-shaped cross section and a plurality of hopper doors extending transversely of the center sill. The hopper doors can be arranged singly to close a chute, in opposed cooperating pairs, and both. The actuating and locking apparatus of the present invention comprises a shaft extending transversely of the center sill and located between adjacent pairs of hopper doors when the hopper doors are so arranged and adjacent each single hopper door when present. Each such shaft is rotatively mounted. A lever is mounted on each shaft. Each lever has an arm for each door to which it is adjacent and a link pivotally connected to each such arm and the adjacent hopper door. Each lever also has an upright arm extending into the center sill and pivotally affixed to a segmented actuating beam located within the center sill and extending longitudinally therein.

Abstract: An apparatus for actuating and locking pairs of hopper doors of a railroad hopper car of the type having a longitudinal center sill and pairs of longitudinally extending chutes, located opposite each other and on each side of the center sill, configured to discharge lading to each side of the hopper car, and each provided with a hopper door. Each chute of a pair is provided with a longitudinally extending shaft rotatively mounted on the underside thereof with first and second end portions extending beyond its chute. Both end portions of the shaft have an operating cam assembly non-rotatively mounted thereon and connected to the adjacent hopper door by an operating link. The operating cam assemblies at corresponding ends of the shafts are joined by connecting links. The first end of each shaft has a ratchet wheel and a capstain non-rotatively mounted thereon. Each chute of the pair has a ratchet pawl pivoted thereto and cooperating with its respective ratchet wheel.

Abstract: A railroad car with a hopper-type body may include a series of gate assemblies for selective discharge of commodity in the car body. Each gate assembly may have two pairs of doors which rotate to close or open respective outlet openings in the gate assembly. Door rotation is effected by an operating system comprising an air cylinder joined to a series of lever activating devices by a series of connecting rods. Each lever device includes a lever arm pinned to the connecting rods and rotatively carried on a shaft attached to a sill of the car. A crank arm of the device is also carried on the shaft and interacts with the lever arm through a pair of bolts threaded one each to the lever arm and crank arm. Ends of the device crank arms are pivotally secured by connecting bars to adjacent gate door pairs respectively.

Abstract: A device for unloading a container used for bulk materials is such that a container floor is made up at least in part of flaps which can be tilted or swung out away from the interior. To this end at least two flaps are connected via a ridging beam or axle which runs through the interior of the container above a rotatable shaft. The rotational movement of the shaft is transmitted to the flaps to actuate same. The shaft features on opposite sides and transverse to its longitudinal axis first and second flange pairs, the former accommodating an elbow lever with the help of a push-fit bolt, and the latter a lever with the help of a bolt. The elbow lever and the lever are hinged to the flaps respectively. Further, connected to the flaps is a lock which joins up via bolts with the elbow lever or the lever, and in the closed position engages on a latching device.

Abstract: In a railway hopper car with several bottom dump doors, the doors are operated by a main door operating member in the form of a thrust bar running the length of the car. The bar, when moved, rotates levers which rotate actuator shafts which move door operating linkage arrangements, opening and closing the dump doors. An adjustable positioning structure is provided on each lever to cause adjustment of the individual dump door positions. The adjustment is accomplished by tightening or loosening bolts in the adjustor, which is fixed on an actuator shaft running to the linkage arrangement. The adjustor and actuator shaft rotate on a bearing with respect to the lever, but are held in locked adjusted position by the adjustor bolts abutting on flanges welded to the lever.

Abstract: An arrangement for operating longitudinally disposed discharge door for a railway hopper vehicle includes adjacent pairs of interconnected hopper doors. The doors of each pair are connected by linkages to provide simultaneous, cooperative opening and closing movement. The inner door of each pair is operatively connected with a locking linkage which, when in the locked position, engages a longitudinally displaceable locking cam to secure the doors. Displacement of the locking cam permits the weight of the lading within the car to open the discharge doors. The doors are returned to the closed position by means of door-engaging trackside cams, and the locking cam is returned to the locked position securing the doors.

Abstract: A hopper car door locking and unlocking arrangement includes a crank arm which is initially moved to a bail engaging position laterally outwardly of the car and then is further operated by the bail of a side of track door opening device. The crank arm moves a longitudinal actuating means which controls the locking members of a pair of downwardly opening hopper doors.

Abstract: A rapid dump hopper car includes a pair of relatively lightweight doors which are opened and closed sequentially from an overlapping position by means of a longitudinally extending actuating mechanism movably supported on the underframe of the car. The doors include longitudinally spaced and transversely extending hinge bracket structures which are connected to the center sill and side sill of the car for relative hinging movements. The bracket structures also include overlapping portions and interengageable bars securely supporting the adjacent edges of the door in interlocking relation. Each hinged bracket structure also includes a ball and socket connection with actuating links which are connected to the longitudinal operating mechanism.

Abstract: An open top hopper car particularly adapted to transport logs and pulpwood products includes a car body having a central partition separating the car into a pair of hoppers which are open at their lower ends for discharging materials sideways and downwardly through the supporting track into a pit area. The car is provided with a door locking mechanism including a longitudinally extending actuating member which by means of flexible linkages rotates bellcranks supported on a hopper out of locking engagement with keeper members provided at the lower ends of a pair of swinging doors.

Abstract: A door operating mechanism for a bottom dump hopper car including a plurality of transversely mounted bottom discharge gates arranged in oppositely opening pairs and operatively connected by compression struts to pendulously mounted vertical levers. The levers are movable divergently outward by linkages connecting them to a lever mounted on a longitudinally extending rotatable actuating shaft. The invention further provides that in the locked position the vertical levers and compression struts be in an overcenter position relative to each pair of associated discharge gates, thereby assuring positive locking of the mechanism.

Abstract: Both an operating link and a locking hook member are secured on a shaft rotatably mounted on a hopper door. The hook member cooperates with a locking lug fixed relative to the hopper for securing the door closed. The operating link is both pivoted and pushed or pulled by a crank actuated by retainable handles for operating the hook member and opening and closing the door.

Abstract: An elongated hatch opening in the roof of a hopper car includes a pair of hatch covers hinged on opposite sides of the hatch. A motor and operating mechanism supported at the end of the hatch reciprocates a pair of push-pull bars positioned within the hatch opening which in turn are connected to elevating rods connected to the underneath sides of the covers, the elevating rods extending inwardly and upwardly in the closed position and have a universal joint connection with the covers. Upon movement of the push-pull bars the elevating rods move the hatch covers to an upright open position. The elevating rods and the push-pull bars may be located internally or externally of the hatch covers, i.e., inwardly or outwardly of the hopper car body.

Abstract: A fluid motor actuating mechanism for railway hopper car doors includes a linkage arrangement which interconnects the doors to provide for opening and closing operation in concert. The doors are supported adjacent a discharge opening and are arranged to swing outwardly to maximum degree to provide an enlarged space through which material is discharged from the hopper car.